Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Mar 17/03) - It's happened again: the city can't contain its liquid waste.

Iqaluit's city crews were busy last week cleaning up sewage that seeped out of two utilidor access valves, adding to a chronic run of broken pipes, failed pumping stations and other sewage containment problems.

The first incident in this recent rash of stink-ups occurred March 12 near the breakwater.

Between 400 and 900 litres of sewage overflowed from the pipes.

The next day -- March 13 at 8 a.m. -- another spill occurred across the street from Joamie School on Apex Road.

"There was a grease buildup in the pipe. We called in a sewage truck to pump down the access vaults," said Iqaluit's utilidor foreman, Chris Freda.

Once the levels were down, the city used a sewer blaster -- or high pressured water -- to clear the blockage.

The overflow at the breakwater was fixed the same way.

The City of Iqaluit said there was nothing they could have done to prevent the spillage.

Iqaluit was fined $100,000 by federal fisheries department for spills occurring April to July, 2001.